I became incredibly cute after dressing up as an animal!

After walking for two days, the color of the grass began to change, from scorched yellow to grayish yellow.

Tire tracks began to appear on the ground, with clear outlines.

Lan Xiaoxiao looked down at the ravines, then looked up at the front.

On the distant horizon, something unnatural appeared: a tall, cylindrical tower-like structure. Lan Xiaoxiao squinted at it for a while before realizing that it was a signal tower!

Holy crap? Where did you get here?

Chu Yi smelled the scent in the wind: "So many human scents."

Lan Xiaoxiao gradually realized: "We've arrived at the 'driving area,' the tourist area."

Apart from Chief Mary, all the other elephants present were here for the first time. The place was noisy and filled with a lot of noise, making the elephants a little nervous.

Chief Mary exuded a calm and composed aura, leading the way at a leisurely pace, and even emitting low-frequency sounds to reassure the tribe.

The further you go, the more traces of human activity you'll see.

I think I can see a hotel in the distance?

Only the most luxurious hotels can open here; these are ultra-luxury hotels in the wilderness, costing tens of thousands of RMB per night.

The herd continued onward, rounding a patch of low bushes, until a large pool of water appeared ahead.

It is a square water storage tank that was dug by hand and lined with cement.

The water was clear and free of silt.

An iron pipe stood upright at the edge of the pool, and water was flowing out of the pipe, splashing into the pool.

Lan Xiaoxiao stood by the pool, looking down at the smooth cement surface of the pool wall, then looking up at the iron pipe.

This is specifically for animals to drink water. If I'm not mistaken, it's also a viewing spot; people will probably be watching from a distance with binoculars.

It's not like we'll lose anything by just looking at it. Having such a large and clean water source is simply wonderful!

Lan Xiaoxiao flapped her ears and happily rubbed against Grandma Mary's leg: "Grandma, you really know how to find water."

Chief Mary walked to the water's edge, took a sip, flapped her ears slightly, then turned and gave a short, sharp sound to the elephant herd.

"It's safe, have some water."

The elephants walked over one after another to drink water.

The bottom of the pool was spotless, with no crocodiles, no driftwood, and no silt. It was fantastic!

Lan Xiaoxiao drank the water through her nose. The water was cool and slightly sweet, and tasted good.

She took several sips, and Chu Yi, standing next to her, was also drinking.

About two kilometers away, a luxury hotel built of logs and glass stands on the grassland.

Sofas and parasols were set up on the circular terrace, and people were soaking in the infinity pool, the edge of which was level with the horizon.

A woman in a white bathrobe was holding a glass of wine. She put down the glass, picked up binoculars from the table next to her, squinted for a moment, then put down the binoculars and excitedly shouted to another person soaking in the pool, "There's a herd of elephants over there! They just arrived, and there are even baby elephants among them!"

The man soaking in the bath immediately went ashore and picked up binoculars to look.

"There are about a dozen elephants over by the reservoir." The woman observed carefully: "Wow, there are two baby elephants!"

The man was also looking around. He often vacationed here and knew a little about the animals. He looked again and exclaimed excitedly, "The lead one has a notch in its ear! I've seen its picture! It's Mary! It's Mary, this is the Mary family! They never show up on the outskirts! We're so lucky!"

The woman in the bathrobe raised her binoculars again and glanced at the herd of elephants by the pool. A baby elephant was standing on the edge of the pool, sticking its trunk into the water and stirring it around, while another baby elephant was close to it.

The man said, "I have a friend who works for an animal protection society. He's been tracking and protecting the Mary family lately. They might be nearby. I'll call them and invite them over for dinner tonight."

"Is that the friend of yours whose calls never go unanswered?" the woman teased.

"There's no other way. His job is deep in the grasslands year-round, with no internet access. Unless you call a satellite phone, you simply can't reach him."

A hotel waiter came over with a plate of fruit and glanced in that direction as he put it down: "You two are really lucky. This is the first time this month that a herd of elephants has been observed coming to drink water. If you are interested, the hotel can arrange a jeep for a close-up view, accompanied by an armed guide, so don't worry about safety."

The woman in the bathrobe shook her head: "No need, let's not disturb them. They look fine as they are."

The man also declined: "We don't really like watching up close; this distance is fine."

Customers with all sorts of requests came along, and the waiter, with a smile, nodded and left.

In the distance, at the reservoir, several elephants drank their fill and then slowly left.

The sun was high in the sky, and they were getting tired after walking for two days.

As I walked along the tire tracks, I heard the roar of a jeep just a few hundred meters away, getting closer and closer.

Mary silently walked to the very back of the elephant herd to protect her family.

Lan Xiaoxiao turned around curiously and saw a high-chassis jeep driving up. There was a black man in the passenger seat holding an AK. The car was full of tourists of all skin colors.

They spotted the elephant herd and exclaimed softly, "Elephants! There are baby elephants!"

The tour guide gestured for them to keep their voices down, saying, "Just watch and take pictures from this distance, please don't shout."

----------------

Author: Da Long: Goodnight